Major British Airways Loyalty Program Changes Coming in April — What To Know

British Airways has announced big changes to its loyalty program, taking place in April 2025, including a rebranding from British Airways Executive Club to a more easily pronounceable British Airways Club.

These major changes will also impact how travelers obtain elite status in the future.

Let’s look at the details of this news.

British Airways Overhauls Loyalty Program

Beginning April 1, 2025, the British Airways Executive Club will adopt a new, easier-to-remember name: British Airways Club. In addition to the new name, the airline has announced a complete overhaul of the way British Airways flyers can earn elite status through its loyalty program.

Adopting a Completely Revenue-Based Earning Model, New Tier Thresholds

Before the upcoming changes, British Airways Executive Club status could be attained by accumulating Tier Points. The number of Tier Points earned is determined by both the duration of the flight and the fare class booked for travel.

The new program introduces a system where members will earn 1 Tier Point for every £1 of eligible spending. Additionally, there are significant changes to the status qualification requirements, as the number of Tier Points needed to maintain or achieve British Airways Club elite status is increasing. At the time of publishing £1 equals roughly $1.26.

Here are the British Airways Club’s 4 elite status tiers and how the requirements are changing:

Although reaching elite status with British Airways will be quite challenging, the airline has revealed that travelers can do so in more ways, including spending on co-branded credit cards and when paying for additional services, such as seat selection and extra baggage.

Earn Elite Status Through Spending

The revamped British Airways Club program will be revenue-driven, with qualifying spending serving as the primary means for travelers to achieve elite status. This is consistent with the current trend in the airline industry, which encourages customers to spend with the airline — such as paying for seat assignments and excess baggage or spending on the airline’s co-branded credit card — rather than simply flying.

Furthermore, beginning in April, members will be able to earn up to 1,000 Tier Points per year for contributing to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at a rate of 1 Tier Point and 10 Avios for every £1 spent on these purchases.

The U.K.-based carrier also announced that members can earn an unlimited number of Tier Points by buying British Airways Holidays vacation packages at a rate of 1 Tier Point for £1 spent.

Later in the year, members will be able to earn Tier Points on credit card purchases. Unfortunately, no U.S. cardholders with the British Airways Visa Signature^® Card will be eligible, as card spending for Tier Points will only apply to those with the British Airways American Express^® Premium Plus Card. However, it is unclear what the earnings rates will be.

Finally, the airline plans to provide new milestone benefits between tiers. Members will receive rewards when they hit various status levels, including 2,500, 4,000, and 5,000 bonus Avios. We expect to know more details about these milestone benefits in the coming months.

How Does This Affect British Airways Partner Bookings?

In the future, if you’re flying with a Oneworld partner airline and would like to credit your flight to the revamped British Airways Club program, the airline has shared that members will earn Tier Points as a percentage of the distance flown, depending on the fare class, as outlined below:

For anyone who has already booked travel after April 1, 2025, you’ll be awarded Tier Points based on a conversion of the current method. British Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, Colm Lacy, mentioned that “any existing bookings will earn proportionally the same number of Tier Points, or more, as they would today.”

It sounds promising in theory, but we’ll need to wait until April 2025 to see how Tier Points and Avios will be earned when flying with partner airlines and crediting them to the British Airways Club.

Final Thoughts

Another day, another airline is revamping its loyalty program to encourage higher spending from its customers as a means for elite status, rewards, and perks. On the positive side, British Airways’ loyalty program name will be modified from British Airways Executive Club to British Airways Club, which is a welcome enhancement.

While customers will have additional methods for earning elite status with British Airways, including credit card spending and spending on ancillary things like seat assignments and baggage fees, the amount of money required to achieve a significant elite status tier has increased considerably.